Sioux Rubber & Urethane Blog

Sioux Rubber & Urethane’s HawkPadⓇ is the premier press pad for commercial die-cutting products. One of our most popular products since its introduction, this cutting-edge pad allows for consistently deep and precise cuts, time after time. Curious how we are able to create a product that so far outperforms the competition? Let’s take a look at the five steps of HawkPad production, and see why we are the go-to press pad provider for customers in the cardboard packaging industry.

Honeycomb cardboard is used as protective packaging for items as small as household appliances, and as large as temporary building structures. Honeycomb cardboard is made of kraft paper that is shaped into hexagonal cells and glued together to form a board. Then, firm cardboard is attached to both sides of the honeycomb like a sandwich. Using the honeycomb paper between the two firmer boards creates high tensile strength, which is ideal for the transportation of appliances and other large items that need to be protected. This product has to be measured and cut using 50 to 100-ton presses, and the die-cutting process must be strong, precise, and resilient. With the HawkPad by Sioux Rubber and Urethane, manufacturers of honeycomb cardboard are able to make a high-quality product that lasts longer and saves money.

When your machines or equipment breaks down due to abrasion, impact or corrosion issues, you’re losing money. Daily wear and tear is common, but your equipment is only designed to take so much. When this happens, not only has production stopped but the costs quickly add up with repairs and downtime. We developed rubber and urethane products that take the daily abuse from abrasion, impact and corrosion, saving your equipment and protecting your materials. Better yet, when the rubber or urethane wears out, that’s all that needs to be replaced, saving you time and money.

Abrasion, heavy impact and corrosion are three problems that damage your expensive machinery. Daily wear and tear leads to breakdowns, and until you’re back up and running, you’re losing money. We understand this better than anyone which is why we’ve developed an entire menu of rubber and urethane products that help your expensive equipment last and keep production moving.

The HawkPad, by Sioux Rubber & Urethane, is saving manufacturers thousands of dollars in press pad replacements. That’s because the HawkPad has been shown to last two- to four times longer than traditional press pads. This durability adds up to big savings – thousands of dollars per year, per machine, in material costs alone. 

The HawkPad, by Sioux Rubber & Urethane, is changing the way companies in the paper-based honeycomb manufacturing industry do business. These companies manufacture honeycomb cardboard. This material is used for protective packaging of appliances, glass and furniture and even for structural applications like household doors and temporary building structures.

Sales Managers Derek DeGroot and Jordan Langley headed down to sunny Orlando, Florida last month to Sioux Rubber & Urethane’s first foray into the SuperCorr Expo, the largest gathering of vendors and corrugated solution seekers in the Western Hemisphere. They joined more than 300 industry suppliers and thousands of industry leaders from 70 countries for a four-day event spearheaded by the corrugated industry’s two leading associations, TAPPI and AICC.

Since we introduced the HawkPad for our cardboard honeycomb packaging customers, we’ve been making more HawkPads than ever. As the premier press pad for commercial die-cutting applications, its unique ratio of multi-layered hardwood to custom-blended urethane gives it a hardness, thickness, and durability unlike any other press pad on the market.

Sioux Rubber & Urethane recently partnered with one of the largest paper-based honeycomb manufacturers in the U.S. to pit the HawkPad against one of the toughest die-cutting environments in the industry.